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What should go into a "you're my number 1" email? Should it provide a detailed account of why I want to match there, and why I think I would be a good fit, or should I keep it short and sweet?
 
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
No I didn’t. They only told us to link the neuro-prelim to the advanced neuro during ranking. I guess I’ll ahead and cough up the extra few bucks and save myself the likelihood of things go wrong during the match.
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Before you do anything, just ask. If you were required to apply and interview for the prelim, simply applying isn't going to do you any good. Ask.
 
Senorita18 said:
Hello everyone. I am a non US IMG and stumbled upon this thread while looking for some information regarding interviews. I interviewed at a program where I had rotated for about 2months as a visiting student. My LORs were all from the program as well and I have made good relations with certain faculty and residents, who would tell me time and again that they would love to see me in their program when I rotated there. My interview went well, however I have average step scores and do not have an impressive CV. Do I really have a chance at this program?

2. Also how can one decide if they like a candidate after interviewing them for only 10min. Each interview literally lasted for only 5-10min and it was more of a conversation. Does this mean that in the end only top scorers are ranked? I think I was the only one with lower scores, others all had scores in 240s and 250s.

@mcl @Freddie @aProgDirector

I would really appreciate any answers to help calm my nerves. Good luck to all of you
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You interviewed at the program during the 2 months you were there as a visiting student.
 
Shazam243 said:
I've been receiving some post-interview communication from programs. Some from programs that I really like, and I feel pressured to email back. I was wondering if any one has heard anything about programs ever changing their rank lists based off of post-interview responses, more so if applicants are ranked lower than they originally were if they did not respond to programs telling them they were number one. Of course, this is discouraged by NMRP, and this would not influence how I respond to programs, but more so to either qualm or confirm concerns. Also, when programs email out these kind of "love letters", are they expecting an email back? I feel really pressured to respond but and very reluctant to respond because I feel bad responding to emails and just saying that I really liked the program. Hope this all makes some sense.
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Your perceived interest in a program can certainly factor into the match list, at least slightly. PD's are people too and they want applicants who are interested and want to go to their program and who will more likely be happy there. At most, showing interest may be a tiebreaker or move someone up a couple slots, maybe. Response to 'love letters' depends, if it was in response to your email or more of close-ended statement, I wouldn't feel obligated to respond, otherwise I would. Just don't let these 'love letters' influence your rank list in any way, some PD's falsely send these out to entice applicants to rank the program highly, giving the program a more favorable match.

Senorita18 said:
Hello everyone. I am a non US IMG and stumbled upon this thread while looking for some information regarding interviews. I interviewed at a program where I had rotated for about 2months as a visiting student. My LORs were all from the program as well and I have made good relations with certain faculty and residents, who would tell me time and again that they would love to see me in their program when I rotated there. My interview went well, however I have average step scores and do not have an impressive CV. Do I really have a chance at this program?

2. Also how can one decide if they like a candidate after interviewing them for only 10min. Each interview literally lasted for only 5-10min and it was more of a conversation. Does this mean that in the end only top scorers are ranked? I think I was the only one with lower scores, others all had scores in 240s and 250s.

@mcl @Freddie @aProgDirector

I would really appreciate any answers to help calm my nerves. Good luck to all of you
Click to expand...

Very difficult to say. You interviewed so you may have a chance. Leaving a very good impression on people when you're rotating there can certainly help. You can surprisingly gain a lot and weed out people based on just 10mins of face time or even less. It's not perfect and some people just interview well or can hide things. The way applicants act, what they say, can rub people the wrong way. Everyone is different and every program is different, so an applicant can fit in one program but not another, some programs the interview serves as a broad screen to make sure you're normal and emphasize more what's on paper. Other programs wipe the slate clean and rank heavily based on interviews. Hard to say what your standing is.
 
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fasteddie911 said:
Your perceived interest in a program can certainly factor into the match list, at least slightly. PD's are people too and they want applicants who are interested and want to go to their program and who will more likely be happy there. At most, showing interest may be a tiebreaker or move someone up a couple slots, maybe. Response to 'love letters' depends, if it was in response to your email or more of close-ended statement, I wouldn't feel obligated to respond, otherwise I would. Just don't let these 'love letters' influence your rank list in any way, some PD's falsely send these out to entice applicants and put the match in the program's favor.
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this is not possible. By design the match is set to favor the student...you may not be the student it favors, but favoring the program is not part of the match design.
 
Do most programs start ranking through out the interview process, or do they do the ranking at the end towards the deadline?
 
The program director at my number 1 program mentioned that we do not need to send thank you letters. Would it still be ok to email her saying that her program is my number 1 choice?
 
richa11 said:
The program director at my number 1 program mentioned that we do not need to send thank you letters. Would it still be ok to email her saying that her program is my number 1 choice?
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so you want to do something that the PD told you that you don't need to do..what kind of example do you think you are setting?
 
richa11 said:
The program director at my number 1 program mentioned that we do not need to send thank you letters. Would it still be ok to email her saying that her program is my number 1 choice?
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It's fine, probably won't make any difference. If it helps you sleep at night.
 
rokshana said:
so you want to do something that the PD told you that you don't need to do..what kind of example do you think you are setting?
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She said not to send thank you letters. However, she mentioned that if we needed to communicate to her for any other reason including questions then that is ok. I am not asking about saying thank you to her because obviously she said that is not necessary. I am asking whether I should mention to her that her program is my number 1 program.
 
richa11 said:
She said not to send thank you letters. However, she mentioned that if we needed to communicate to her for any other reason including questions then that is ok. I am not asking about saying thank you to her because obviously she said that is not necessary. I am asking whether I should mention to her that her program is my number 1 program.
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in my mind the thank you letter is a superfluous courtesy and she made a point of saying she doesn't need or want them..."you're my Number 1!" falls in the same category...i guess you could make the pretense of asking her a question and include the "you're my number 1!" in with questions....as aPD stated, if it would make you sleep better...
 
Need someone to tell me to take benzos and relax...or a cyanide pill.

sent my top choice an email telling them they were my top choice and will be ranked #1. got no response.

a friend of mine sent a watered down version of love email to this program. didnt explicitly say "top choice" or "number 1", but still got a generic thank you, good luck response.

Is this normal/common? Could it be the fact that I explicitly stated they were my top choice made them not respond, to avoid potential NRMP?
 
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Need someone to tell me to take benzos and relax...or a cyanide pill.

sent my top choice an email telling them they were my top choice and will be ranked #1. got no response.

a friend of mine sent a watered down version of love email to this program. didnt explicitly say "top choice" or "number 1", but still got a generic thank you, good luck response.

Is this normal/common? Could it be the fact that I explicitly stated they were my top choice made them not respond, to avoid potential NRMP?
Click to expand...

PD's that don't respond... don't worry about it. We get flooded with crap. Some are genuine, some aren't. We can tell some genuine ones, can't tell others, sometimes can tell crap.

I swear, I need to tour the country and go school to school: RELAX. Sending these emails mean so little to all involved. Not getting responses means so little to all involved.

Tell your friends. Tell your underclassmen.

NRMP DOES NOT ENCOURAGE (Program) COMMUNICATION AFTER THE INTERVIEW.
 
Would it be considered annoying if more than one person reaches out to your # 1 program? For example, the chair and the PD?
 
Greetings to everyone! I've been a long-time lurker on this thread and have obtained some really helpful information from it which I'm grateful for. I would like to ask a question specific to my situation:
I'm an IMG who's been unsuccessful in two previous match seasons and I decided to give it one last go. I didn't register early with NRMP because I wanted to wait and see if I would get any interview invitations ....(no interviews then no need for ROL or NRMP..) . I subsequently received one interview invitation in early January (as I did in the previous seasons) which I think went well but who really knows. From prior experience I know that my chances of matching with a rank order list of "1" are not great. As such, I'm hesitant to go through with NRMP late registration and end up wasting $130 ( seems a trivial amount but every bit counts right now). My question to the PC's is: if that one program decides to include me on their ranking list but can't find me because I'm not registered, will they bother to contact me ? ( which will prompt me to register and hope for the best) or will they just move on? Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Zoster said:
Would it be considered annoying if more than one person reaches out to your # 1 program? For example, the chair and the PD?
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Yes, it is annoying. There are hundreds of applicants on my list. I finalized my rank list today. My PC is entering it tomorrow. Then it's Barbados. What I don't need is my inbox to be constantly full of randos telling me how great you are. I read your application, I read your "Top medical student, actually walks on water" LORs and I interviewed you. It's over.
 
IMPD said:
Yes, it is annoying. There are hundreds of applicants on my list. I finalized my rank list today. My PC is entering it tomorrow. Then it's Barbados. What I don't need is my inbox to be constantly full of randos telling me how great you are. I read your application, I read your "Top medical student, actually walks on water" LORs and I interviewed you. It's over.
Click to expand...

Feelsbad. I just want to ask the program directors here: has it ever been the case that a letter, handwritten or otherwise, has made you change your ranking of the applicant? Or is it done at the time of the interview and it's pointless to send communication other than for politeness sake?
 
Pablo15 said:
Greetings to everyone! I've been a long-time lurker on this thread and have obtained some really helpful information from it which I'm grateful for. I would like to ask a question specific to my situation:
I'm an IMG who's been unsuccessful in two previous match seasons and I decided to give it one last go. I didn't register early with NRMP because I wanted to wait and see if I would get any interview invitations ....(no interviews then no need for ROL or NRMP..) . I subsequently received one interview invitation in early January (as I did in the previous seasons) which I think went well but who really knows. From prior experience I know that my chances of matching with a rank order list of "1" are not great. As such, I'm hesitant to go through with NRMP late registration and end up wasting $130 ( seems a trivial amount but every bit counts right now). My question to the PC's is: if that one program decides to include me on their ranking list but can't find me because I'm not registered, will they bother to contact me ? ( which will prompt me to register and hope for the best) or will they just move on? Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
if you don't have a ROL when the computers run the algorithm, then they move on...if you interviewed but don't plan on putting a ROL in, then why did you bother?
 
hey guys I received an email from a program through ERAS 2 months after my interview . It didn't state my name but said they were impressed with my credentials and are considering my application , I really liked the program .Is this personal or the program usually sends such emails to everyone?
 
Pablo15 said:
Greetings to everyone! I've been a long-time lurker on this thread and have obtained some really helpful information from it which I'm grateful for. I would like to ask a question specific to my situation:
I'm an IMG who's been unsuccessful in two previous match seasons and I decided to give it one last go. I didn't register early with NRMP because I wanted to wait and see if I would get any interview invitations ....(no interviews then no need for ROL or NRMP..) . I subsequently received one interview invitation in early January (as I did in the previous seasons) which I think went well but who really knows. From prior experience I know that my chances of matching with a rank order list of "1" are not great. As such, I'm hesitant to go through with NRMP late registration and end up wasting $130 ( seems a trivial amount but every bit counts right now). My question to the PC's is: if that one program decides to include me on their ranking list but can't find me because I'm not registered, will they bother to contact me ? ( which will prompt me to register and hope for the best) or will they just move on? Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

My take would be that if you don't register with NRMP, you've wasted the time/money you spent going to the interview in the first place, and you'll always wonder if you would have matched. The answer to your question, however, is that I'd bring it to my PD's attention. From there we'd either decide to skip you, or call to see why you weren't registered. There's a possibility that requiring programs to take this extra step would be seen as a negative indicator (applicant either not understanding the system or showing lack of follow through on tasks) which could affect your ranking.

Registering would at least give you the opportunity to participate in SOAP, even if the match with the one program didn't work out.
 
neoexile said:
Feelsbad. I just want to ask the program directors here: has it ever been the case that a letter, handwritten or otherwise, has made you change your ranking of the applicant? Or is it done at the time of the interview and it's pointless to send communication other than for politeness sake?
Click to expand...

There's no way to answer questions like this. Typically, post-interview correspondence doesn't affect ranking, but occasionally it could at some places. I've always felt the point of sending the letter was to allow the applicant to feel like they've done all they can do to match at the place they liked best, and not think "if only I'd sent a letter, I would have matched there" for the next 3-7 years.
 
wallebergsyndrome said:
hey guys I received an email from a program through ERAS 2 months after my interview . It didn't state my name but said they were impressed with my credentials and are considering my application , I really liked the program .Is this personal or the program usually sends such emails to everyone?
Click to expand...

There's no way for anyone to know whether that email was sent especially to you as an expression of a sincere desire that you match at that program or a standard email they sent to everyone they interviewed. It doesn't matter. Rank the programs you visited in the order YOU liked them without regard for where you think a program will rank you. That's the only way for the Match to work to your benefit. Then expect the best (matching at your favorite program), but prepare for the worst (participating in SOAP), and be happy with anything in between.
 
mcl said:
My take would be that if you don't register with NRMP, you've wasted the time/money you spent going to the interview in the first place, and you'll always wonder if you would have matched. The answer to your question, however, is that I'd bring it to my PD's attention. From there we'd either decide to skip you, or call to see why you weren't registered. There's a possibility that requiring programs to take this extra step would be seen as a negative indicator (applicant either not understanding the system or showing lack of follow through on tasks) which could affect your ranking.

Registering would at least give you the opportunity to participate in SOAP, even if the match with the one program didn't work out.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response! I will be guided accordingly!
 
I emailed a program saying they are my number 1. Now i think, I may have to change that and they might be number 2. Should I tell my number 1 program now that they will be number 1? I know its technically emailing multiple programs. I regret sending the number 1 rank letter before submitting my rank list.
 
richa11 said:
I emailed a program saying they are my number 1. Now i think, I may have to change that and they might be number 2. Should I tell my number 1 program now that they will be number 1? I know its technically emailing multiple programs. I regret sending the number 1 rank letter before submitting my rank list.
Click to expand...

I would just not email anything else to anyone. Leave it alone...you sent a #1 e-mail already...granted it was to the wrong program. But morally and professionally I wouldn't send another #1 e-mail. And it's too messy to really send a followup "nevermind you're #2 e-mail" to your new #2. If you end up matching at your #1, you can send this jilted program an apology and explanation afterward. If you don't match at your #1, no one will be any the wiser.
 
Are program directors allowed to talk to each other about the candidates on their rank list?
 
richa11 said:
Are program directors allowed to talk to each other about the candidates on their rank list?
Click to expand...
Sure...but ain't nobody got time for that.

But PDs do get a list of where every applicant that was on their rank list matched.
 
richa11 said:
Are program directors allowed to talk to each other about the candidates on their rank list?
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Unlike 4th year medical students, PDs usually have full clinical schedules are tend to be pretty busy folks. I doubt they meet up for drinks at the local Applebees and discuss Richa11's application in depth, but I could be wrong.
 
AdmiralChz said:
Unlike 4th year medical students, PDs usually have full clinical schedules are tend to be pretty busy folks. I doubt they meet up for drinks at the local Applebees and discuss Richa11's application in depth, but I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

No, they meet up in the SDN PD forum to discuss and post all about the applications. Who has time for Applebees???? (And who has the taste for Applebees for that matter).
 
richa11 said:
Thank you for your very helpful response. My question was whether they are legally able to do that as i know that NRMP has certain rules about communication between applicant and the residency program. I was wondering if that was the same for different residency programs. But I think I have my answer and there is no reason for you to reply again to my question as you have already been so helpful.
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AAIA_wDGAAAAAQAAAAAAAAxYAAAAJDY3ODkwYzhhLTRjYjEtNGFiNC05OWIyLTQ4OTgwOTUxYzkzMQ.jpg
 
Is it okay to write a small joke into a LOI that references something from the interview with the PD, or must this be a completely serious affair?
 
hey everyone, I emailed my top 2 choices after all my interviews. I had discussed a lot of marvel comics and GOT, I mentioned the pd the name of the street address of the superheroes where I travelled like Ingram street for spiderman, as well as praised their program does this look unprofessional?
 
wallebergsyndrome said:
hey everyone, I emailed my top 2 choices after all my interviews. I had discussed a lot of marvel comics and GOT, I mentioned the pd the name of the street address of the superheroes where I travelled like Ingram street for spiderman, as well as praised their program does this look unprofessional?
Click to expand...

Yes. Prepare to SOAP.










Seriously, though, no.
 
wallebergsyndrome said:
hey everyone, I emailed my top 2 choices after all my interviews. I had discussed a lot of marvel comics and GOT, I mentioned the pd the name of the street address of the superheroes where I travelled like Ingram street for spiderman, as well as praised their program does this look unprofessional?
Click to expand...
The biggest mistake you made here was being a sad little Marvel fanboy.

#DCfolyfe

Also, A+ trolling on this one.
 
gutonc said:
The biggest mistake you made here was being a sad little Marvel fanboy.

#DCfolyfe

Also, A+ trolling on this one.
Click to expand...
well apparently DC boys tried to pull down Black Panther rotten tomatoes rating seems didn't work out well 😛
 
I know I'm being unnecessarily paranoid, but I emailed some PD's with a question and I still haven't heard back from one of them after 2 business days...should I be worried that they're not interested in ranking me highly and therefore don't want to communicate? Or can I safely assume they're just busy/lazy?
 
raspberryberet said:
I know I'm being unnecessarily paranoid, but I emailed some PD's with a question and I still haven't heard back from one of them after 2 business days...should I be worried that they're not interested in ranking me highly and therefore don't want to communicate? Or can I safely assume they're just busy/lazy?
Click to expand...
Busy? Yes. Lazy? Are you serious? Or, do you value yourself that highly? Or, alternately, why would your first thought be "lazy"? That would not be mine.
 
Apollyon said:
Busy? Yes. Lazy? Are you serious? Or, do you value yourself that highly? Or, alternately, why would your first thought be "lazy"? That would not be mine.
Click to expand...

Jeez, no need to be so easily offended. I call myself lazy about answering email because I'm slow to do it, and I imagine that busy PD's have much more reason to be slow. Didn't mean it in a bad way. 🙄
 
raspberryberet said:
Jeez, no need to be so easily offended. I call myself lazy about answering email because I'm slow to do it, and I imagine that busy PD's have much more reason to be slow. Didn't mean it in a bad way. 🙄
Click to expand...
Not easily offended (trust me), but word choice matters. "Lazy" insults someone's work ethic. The way you use that word sounds quite different from the common meaning.
 
I didn't realized that I have to register with the NRMP in order for a program to locate me. I was contacted by a program regarding this issue. I have registered and certify my rank list. I just have some random questions. 1) Does the program director usually submit the rank list themselves or do they usually have the coordinator do it in their place. 2) If a program decided to rank me initially, do they change their mind after they couldn't find/locate me on the database? Thank you so much for answering these questions.
 
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